The best places to eat near Eden Center

Eden Center

Eden Center, with its colorful arch, cultural vibrancy, and frequent Vietnamese cultural events, is just about the only strip mall in Northern Virginia that can rightly be considered a bonafide tourist attraction. The main reason to come is of course the peerless Vietnamese cuisine in its restaurants, but the shopping can be fun too, be it food or tchotchkes (or just useful, if you are Vietnamese and want some DVDs from the home country). There are more than 100 shops and restaurants packed into this small mall.

Huong Viet

Su-Th 10AM-10PM, F-Sa 10AM-11PM. $10-22. Virtually everything on the gargantuan menu is great, although the more adventurous in the delicacies/specials section are the most rewarding. The most famous dish here is the crispy quail wings appetizer. This is also the oldest restaurant in the mall.

Pho Xe Lua

Small bowl: $7, large: $10. Eden Center's, and by extension the D.C. area's, consensus choice for best pho (for those who have adventured beyond the admittedly excellent Pho 75 in Arlington. Even many West Coasters admit this is the best they've had outside Vietnam. There's not much more that needs be said, aside from cash only, and a bit more expensive than other pho servers (but absolutely worth it).

Cha Kim Phung Bakery

This little bakery is as of yet overlooked by the white folks, but the service is probably the friendliest in the mall, and the banh mi are right up there with the best. They also have a more extensive selection of other Vietnamese baked treats than most of the other delis at Eden Center. Lastly, ginger fans should make sure to grab some delicious unfiltered ginger ale out of the fridge.

Phung Hoang

The restaurants inside the mall are harder to find, and attract a more exclusively Vietnamese clientèle. The standout dish here is bún bò huế, a richer vermicelli soup than pho, with a reddish, chili-heavy broth, some congealed pig's blood, a strong taste of lemongrass, and some optional fish sauce on the side, in addition to the same fresh veggies associated with pho. Full bar.

Nhu Lan

There is not a consensus regarding the D.C. metro area's top banh mi purveyor, but if there is one, this is it. It's a tiny little bakery with only four tiny tables and a smaller menu than just about anywhere else, but the baguettes are absolutely second to none. Buy four and get one free.